Stuff of Legends
by RestingWriter
Summary: Loki is stripped of his powers and sent to earth for his punishment, and finds himself falling for a piano playing actress. It may sound cheesy but I promise it's better than it looks. P.S. this story includes Sygin who is a character in the comic but not in the movie, if you do not know who see is I suggest you look her up. Loki/OC
1. Imprisionment

Loki sat in the cold unforgiving sliver cells beneath Asgard, stripped of his his princely possessions. His long black hair was tousled and the moss green frock and simple pants he had been reduced to wear were dirty and worn from 3 days of life in a cell. Still he sat upon his cot with all the regality and pride his ego and body could muster. His body still ached from the thrashings he had been dealt just days before, especially the one by the senseless green monster Hulk.

It was his own fault, this pain of his, he had allowed himself to fail. He had obviously make a mistake somewhere along the way. And he played the events of his invasion over and over in his head thinking maybe he could figure it out. So far he had managed to think of nothing. Except that the "Avengers" had given him many different chances to give up, Thor had even afford to take him home, and yet he had stayed and he had been defeated and now was patiently awaiting the wrath of Odin. He did so proudly, and willingly, knowing how much he deserved it.

And yet even as he awaited the judgment of the Allfather, he could help but contemplate how he might escape his imprisonment. He could still easily rule the earth, and give the humans the world peace they so desperately wanted. Maybe it wasn't what they had in mind, but was that not what he had been offering, a world under the rule of one almighty leader to whom they could all depend on and kneel to. His thoughts turned to the Avengers and how easily they would fail without Thor, and if they had been challenged one on one. That had been one of his mistakes, he allowed them to form a group in which he of this army could not face. If he went back, and took them down one at a time, the monster first, then Stark, and as long as his "brother" stayed out of the way the others would fall easily, them being so pathetically mortal. Of course, his brother would never stay out of the way.

And yet he knew that escape was a nonexistent option. He was in the All-father's kingdom now, and there was no way, that Loki could conceive, to avoid the wrath in which he was about to endure. He wrung his hands still lost in calculating thoughts. Time seemed to slip by at that point, minute turned into hours, and soon Loki was sleeping in a dreamless sleep that could only come from thinking too hard.

Loki soon heard the clicking of opening locks, and he smiled up at the ceiling. The muscle and cuffs that had been placed on him had been removed when he had arrived in Asgard. Odin had known that Loki was no match for Thor if Thor had made up his mind and therefore he had simply put the God of thunder in charge of making sure Loki made it to the cell. The cell itself canceled magic, which was another reason the silly human devices had not been needed, and the only reason that loki was not already long gone.

As the sound of footsteps came closer he lowered his head and relax his maniacal smile. "So I assume that they have reach a decision as to my punishment." Loki asked the nameless guard who was approaching.

"No," a cool feminine voice responded. "they are still deliberating." Sygin rounded the corner, she gave her once-husband a cold smile. She was beautiful as ever, her long red hair curled softly away from her soft square face, she wore a flowing mint dress that feel soft across her tall lithe body with a perfect grace that was not unlike her own.

Loki sat up and continued to smile back at her, but subtly he examined her face, she was horrible at hiding her feelings. "And you're not up there pleading my case like a good wife." He asked, playing at being hurt.

"I'm not your wife anymore. Not under the laws of Odin." She said her gaze clouded over with her words, it was obvious how much the fact hurt her. "Plus, there really is no case to plead. There is no way of saying you're innocent, and I have no sway over the Allfather or Thor and you know that."

"Ah, yes that's right you aren't my wife are you. When I fell from the bifrost and I was presumed dead and our marriage was made mute and void wasn't it, I had almost forgot." That was the first of many lies he tell her that night.

" Don't play naive, you didn't fall, you let go!" she screamed, her cool smile breaking. "the All-father had you by his staff, and you are strong enough to easily pulled yourself up, but you let go. And in that moment you let our marriage go as well.

Loki stood and strode across the cell and stood in front of her open to her anger. He had known their marriage would end when he let that staff go, and yet he had done it and he knew that he deserved her wrath. "I'm sorry," he simply stated, honestly. "I am sorry I hurt you, but I do not regret letting go. I have grown in my power, and am a more powerful man now and although I regret losing the battle for earth, I can not be sorry for leaving."

He meet Sygin eyes and watched as a tear fell down her white cheeks, and his heart felt hard. He did love her, she was one of the only things in the nine realm that he had ever truly loved, but he had made a choice on the bridge and that choice had not been her. Looking at her now he did not know way he had made that choice, or how he ever could have left her...

"I grieved for you and my heart ached for a long time and it still does. But I love you and so I forgive you." she said, reaching through the bars to brush away a lock of hair that had fallen into the prince's face. Their gazes locked and they stood like that for a long while, her hand resting on his face gently and he staring into her tortured brown eyes examining their depth not for the first time, and for a moment it was as if the bar did exist and it was just to two of them. Then, all too soon the spell broke, Sygin was the first to pull away, but Loki was quick to follow suit, she was not his wife anymore, but with a little luck she would be again.

"What are my Brother and the Allfather debating?" Loki asked leaning up against the bars, breaking the silence that had fallen.

Sygin sighed, knowing that he no longer wish to speak of their broken marriage. "Well, Odin is partial to making you work in the mines for a few years, and then allowing you back in your seat as the rightful prince of Asgard. Thor on the other hand has more... creative... ideas."

And what could possibly be so creative that came from a mind as brilliant as Thor's?"

She sighed once again, and stepped away from Loki to begin pacing. "He speaks of sending you to earth."

Loki grinned widely, "That is rather creative, but not very intelligent."

"I told them such" She agreed. She continued to pace silently then, playing with her hair and never bringing her eyes up to meet Loki's she stopped dead in front of him. When she finally brought her eyes back to meet his, questions and emotions danced in them. Loki waited patiently to be bombarded for answers she more than deserved, but instead she simply stated a fact.

"I've remarried," she said, letting the fact hang in the air between them.

Loki simply looked at her, not knowing what to think, he had been gone long enough and she had had every right to remarry. " I am happy for you," he lied, he loved her, and it angered him that she had moved on so easily but she had already been through too much. He would not rub salt in her wounds by turning his anger on her, "who is he?"

"His name is Bjorn, he is a warrior from the northern province." She replied, pacing ounce more. "We had been friends in our childhood."

"Yes I recall you telling me about him in your stories. You two were close."

"Yes we were, but if I had known you would return, I would not have married him." she promised desperation teasing in her voice.

"Do not cry Sygin, you know I hate it when you do." he said turning away and returning to the cot. He stared at the ceiling and cringed as he heard her give out a sob. It made his heart pound with anger at himself for leaving and at her for moving on. "Sygin," he called her name in a strong stable voice. "Are you happy with him?" he asked.

"yes.."

"Does you love him?" He asked giving her a patient look.

"Yes, I do..."

"Then I am not angry, and there is no need for you tears, you are only making us both hurt." He was lying through his teeth, he was angry, more than angry in fact his heart raged inside his chest, and his pride was hurt but he did not want to hurt her any further than he already had, because of all the people in all people in all of Asgard she was the one he wanted to hurt the least, even if it meant allowing her not to be his.

Sygin seemed to agree, for she wiped her eyes and straightened herself. "Yes you are right, I cannot regret what has been done. I have been being foolish crying over something we cannot change now, and so I will leave now before I embarrass myself more. I wish you the best Loki, goodbye." she said, her voice never wavering. She had always been a proud creature, hardly ever crying or any other show of weakness even when they were married, and Loki had expected her to react like this. He bowed his head to her and whispered a simple goodbye, because honestly he only wanted her to leave and to be alone once more so that the pain in his chest could stop. She left quickly and silently then, the locks clicking behind her, and yet the pain in his heart still ached, in fact it only got worse with her departure.

In all the time he had been gone, he had hardly thought of Sygin. But now, as he realized that she was no longer his and how deep the hole in his heart for her was, he wondered how he had ever left. She was such a deep part of him, a part that he had never noticed until now it was gone. And it almost gave him hope. That whatever his brother and father chose to do to him, none of the tortures they could choose to put him under could ever compare to what he had done to himself at this very moment.

Loki tried to push those thoughts out of his mind, and tried to kill the clenching in his stomach and the images of her troubled brown eyes. So he turns his thought instead to why in Valhalla his brother would want to send him to earth...


	2. Mortification

Night fell on Asgard, as Loki struggled to find sleep. His head seemed to swim with images of the woman he had once called wife. Her face, her smile, the real one not the stoney one she had given him today.

For some reason he had had this dilution that when he had finally come home from his great conquest of the Earth, he would return home and find her waiting for him sitting in that large back armchair in the chambers that she had loved so much.

Of course, he realized now how much of a dream that had been, and how much of what he had envisioned would never be. He raked a hand through his hair in frustration, he had been a fool (which was something entirely new to him).

Not knowing what else to do he turned over on his side and began tracing the ornate designs on the walls that could be found all through Asgard. Here even the prisons were beautiful...

After a while of mind numbingly following the designs with his eyes, his mind finally went blank and he began to dose. The sleep was blissful and dreamless, but unfortunately it was short lived...

"Brother!" Loki woke with a start to the sound of Thor's booming voice. "Arise, father and I have reached a decision"

Loki rose silently smoothing his hair back with his hands, then walked up to his "brother" and met his gaze steadily. Thor opened the door and allowed his brother to walk though, he did not grab or restrain him, instead he merely walked alongside him. Allowing Loki to keep his dignity by not be lead like a beaten dog.

They marched through the halls in silence, an unspoken tension hovering between them. People stared in awe as they passed, most bowed as well, not only to Thor but to Loki as well for after all he was still there prince. very few in Asgard truly knew what had gone about on Earth, and most of these people had thought him dead.

A sinister smile spread across his lips, which Thor meet with a glare. "Remove that smile from your face, there is no reason for it."

Loki merely looked up at him, his words only making the smile sweeter. "Why not, Brother?" he asked, hurling the last word as a weapon. "These people kneel willingly upon my return. Is it not good to be "home"."

Thor paused before reaching the grand throne room and looked down at his brother. "I wish that someday you will call me brother without meaning it to be an insult, and truly mean it as you once did, and as I still do." then reaching out Thor placed one of his enormous hands on the door and almost whispered. "hopefully this punishment will help that to come to pass."

The main hall was relatively empty, with the exception of the warriors 3 and Lady Sif, and of course Sigyn with her husband at her side. Loki felt as if someone had stabbed him straight through his chest. He still couldn't quite make sense of it, how could Sigyn, the only woman he had ever truly loved, move on? True, that she had thought him dead or at least gone for good but he still couldn't comprehend how easily she had moved on or possibly he just didn't want too.

Loki was brought to stand in front of the man he had once called father. the older man stood eye to eye with him, yet somehow Loki felt the older man towered over him. He had once stood where Odin was, he had had that power but now here he stood as a criminal waiting for the man he had once loved and called father to dictate his fate.

"Loki Odinson, Prince of Asgard," The All-father yelled, his voice echoing. "For your crimes against Earth, you have been found guilty and therefore sentence you to a year or more on... Earth."

There was a collective intake of breath. Sif opened her mouth as i to protest, but Odin silenced her with an upheld hand. "You are to live on Earth, without magic, for a year or until I find you worthy to return. whichever comes last."

A cynical laugh bubbled in Lokis throat, but he beat it down. The old man was serious, he sincerely thought that sending him to earth was a good punishment. He glanced over at Thor, who looked back at him with a pitying glance, which made Loki think deeper about his circumstances.

Thor had been sent to earth as banishment. He probably thought that somehow if he was forced to live like the low humans he had tried to rule it would somehow humble him, make him a better person. The more he thought about it, the more he realized what this would mean. Live like a human, without magic, or power. He was a GOD, how could he be expected to lower himself down to that level. Yet that was what Odin was going to force him to do, so maybe this was thought out after all.

Sygin watched as Loki's face changed from smug to desperate. His icy eyes searching the floor beneath Odin's boots as if the key to escape was hidden somewhere in there.

She wanted to run to him, to stroke his hair like she would when they were married. Her body ached with the need to comfort him, but instead she merely held her husband's hand tighter. She had to remember that Bjoem was her husband now and although she may love Loki, she also loved him and her place was at his side.

Sigyn looked up at her husband through her thick lashes. He was watching her, his big golden eyes full of understanding. He stroked his thumb over hers, and gave her a weak smile. Sigyn was puzzled for a moment, was he comforting her? Yes, he was comforting her she agreed in amazement. Loki, for as good of a husband as he had been, would never had been so understanding.

Loki had been capable of great love in his own way, but he had never been one for public displays of affection. He would never of held her hand in public, or pulled her closer as Bjoem did just then and place an arm around her.

Maybe, Sigyn thought, that was why she had fallen so quickly for Bjoem, because he was so opposite of Loki. He was warm, open, and when she was with him she never missed Loki, because they were so different to make a connection. And yet, standing in the same room as both of them she couldn't help but question who she loved more...

Loki was in a state of panic. He longed for the feel of Sigyn's hand in his hair, or her voice humming some obscure lullaby. She had always been there to do those thing to calm him, but now she couldn't and he was on the near verge of losing control of hi calm demeanor. He tried envisioning it, but that merely upset him more. He sent a desperate glance her way, but she was too busy staring into her husband's eyes while he held her under his arm. Loki felt he might be sick.

He was escorted from the main hall by Thor and Odin. The lead him into what at one time had been the main room of his chambers. It was still relatively untouched since he had left, books still lined 3 of the 4 walls, and the other was open and bright with only arches keeping it from not existing at all. The archways lead out to a large balcony that overlooked Asgard's University. It was a breathtaking view, not only was the school an incredible vision to behold, but its campus was filled with gardens and orchards that were true immaculate and stunning.

But Loki at the moment could care less about reminiscing in his old room. He cared more about what was about to come.

Odin looked down at his son, sadness dancing in his eyes. Still he went on with what needed to be done. Lifting his staff he drew a rune on Loki's chest. He barely had time to comprehend what the All-father was doing before th pain of the spell hit him and forced him to his knees. He fell to the floor crying in agony. The rune had been one of binding, and it did just that. It bound Loki's magic into a small box somewhere in the center of Loki's soul that only Odin had the keys to.

Several moments passed while Loki reeled in pain. Thor watched helplessly while his brother cried in anguish . He ground his teeth and held his hand closely to his sides to keep from trying to help him, which would only shame them both. He knew that this is what had to be done and being sentimental now was just foolish and the mark of a weak man. So he merely watched in silence.

Time passed and Loki regained control, finally rising to his feet in his own do time. He meet Odin's eyes and then Thor's, asking a simple question. "What now?"

"And on Loki Odinson," Odin replied, his voice hollow. "Thor will take you to Earth. Goodbye..."


End file.
